Railway-wagon and other receptacle.



R. G. SHARP & E. DE H. ROWNTRBE. RAILWAY WAGON AND OTHER REGEPTACLE.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.27,1906.

91 O, 1 52. Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. G. SHARP & E. DE H. ROWNTREE.

RAILWAY WAGON AND OTHER REGEPTAGLE.

APPLICATION TILED SEPT. 27, 1906.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.Zwzranlor flldw 1n: NORRIS Prawns can. WASHINGTON, n c.

R. G. SHARP & E. DE H. ROWNTREE. RAILWAY WAGON AND OTHER REGEPTAGLE.

nrmouxon rum) $22127, 1906.

910,152. Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

a 45 i 5; 2 I 14- 10 O J E 1/ a I O I 15 1L 3 R. G. SHARP & E. DE H. ROWNTREB. RAILWAY WAGON AND OTHER REGEPTAGLE.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT.27,1906.

910,152. Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

R. G. SHARP & E. DE H. ROWNTRBE.

RAILWAY WAGON AND OTHER REGEPTACLE.

APYLIGATION FILED. SEPT.27,1906.

910, 152. Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

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UNTTED STATES ROBERT GORDON SHARP AND EDWIN DE PATEN T OFFICE.

HORNE ROWNTREE, OF LEEDS, ENGLAND,

ASSIGNORS TO THE LEEDS FORGE COMPANY, LIMITED, OF LEEDS FORGE, LEEDS,

ENGLAND.

RAILWAY-WAGON AND OTHER REGEP'IACLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT GoRnoN SHARP and EDWIN DE HORNE Rowx'rnnn, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Leeds, in the county of York, England, have invented Improvements in or Relating to Railway-1V agons and other Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hopper bottom railway wagons and other receptacles which are adapted to discharge their contents on to different places as may be desired.

In order that the invention may be understood we will now describe the same as applied to a hopperlike railway wagon adapted to discharge its contents either at or near the longitudinal center line of the wagon or at either side, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a transverse sectional elevation of such portions of a wagon which are necessary for illustrating the improvements. Fig. 2 is a part side elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and et are views similar to, but only showing parts of, Fig. 1, said parts occupying two diifcrent positions, and Figs. 5 and 6 are views of a detail and are more particularly referred to hereafter. Figs. 7 and S are detail views illustrating a modified construction.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to a of the drawings, the side walls A of the body of the wagon. which may be of metal sheeting, slope downwardly towards but do not meet at the center line of the wagon or thereabout, the opening or openings in the bottom being provided with a door or doors 1 which when closed forms or form a continuation or continuations of the side wall or walls A. One or each of the doors is so constructed that it can be swung at will either about its upper or its lower edge according to whether it is desired to deliver the contents near the center or at the side of the wagon. In the example only the right hand door is so constructed, the left hand door being capable of being swung about its lower edge only. On each side of the wagon body a downwardly and outwardly sloping ramp 3 is provided in such a way that when one or each of the doors 1 is swung open about its upper edge the contents of the wagon can fall to the ground between the ramps 3 at or near the center of the wagon, but that when either door 1 is swung open about its lower edge the opposite door or side wall of the wagon together with the open door and the ramp on the same side of the wagon as the open door form a continuous surface sloping downwardly and outwardly and over which the contents of the wagon escaping through the opening uncovered by the open door pass to the ground at the side of the wagon. Fig. 3 shows the right hand door 1 swung open about its upper edge so as to discharge between the rails and Fig. t shows the said door swung open about its lower edge so as to discharge at the side of the wagon.

Each door 1 that is adapted to be turned about either its upper or its lower edge such as the door shown to the right of Fig. 1 is connected by main links 6 which are jointed to the ends of the door about midway between its top and bottom to main levers or arms 5 fixed upon a shaft 4 which is arranged parallel with the axes about which the door turns, the arrangement being such that the main levers 5 and links 6 are in line with each other and at right angles to the door when it is closed. lVhen it is desired to swing open the door 1 about its upper edge, the shaft is turned so that the main levers 5 rise and draw the main links 6 and the door sidewise away from. the center of the wagon. If, however, the shaft 4 is turned fall and the main links 6 and the door are drawn downward, the door swinging about its lower edge as a pivot.

At each corner of the door 1, is a hooklike bar 7 which, when the door is closed, engages in a recess in the end of a lever 8 mounted on a pivot 9 on the wagon body. The hook-like bars 7 are adapted to partly embrace the pivots 9 when the door is closed, the door swinging about the axis of one of said pivots against which the hook-like bars 7 are held by the levers 8. The levers 8 are connected by auxiliary links 10 to auxiliary levers 11 which are so mounted 011 the be fore-mentioned shaft 4 that, when the said shaft 4 is turned to swing the door about its upper edge, the levers 8' at the bottom of the door are turned on their pivots 9 so as to release the bars 7 there and allow the bottom I edge of the door to swing open outwardly,

in the opposite direction, the main levers 5 while at the same time the levers 8 at the top of the door remain in engagement with the corresponding bars 7. Similarly when the shaft 4; is turned to swing the door about its lower edge the levers 8 at the top of the door are turned so as to release the bars 7 there while the levers 8 at the bottom of the door still engage the corresponding bars 7 and thus the door is allowed to swing open about its lower edge. To enable the shaft 4: and the main lever 5 to be turned far enough to disengage the levers 8 from the bars 7 on the doors before the doors commence to open, the pins 13 connecting the main links 6 to the main levers 5 work in slots 14 formed in the latter and roll on the edges of guide plates 12 attached to the Wagon body which edges are curved up to points a certain distance on either side of the position of the said pins 13 when the door is closed to an arc of a circle struck from the center of the pin connecting the main link 6 to the door 1 when the latter is closed. The edges of the guide plates 12 beyond these points are curved to arcs of circles struck from the center of the main shaft 4, all as will be readily understood from Fig. 1. After opening the door either way it can be closed and the levers 8 made to reengage with the bars 7 on the doors on turning the shaft 4E back to its original position, by means of weights 15, springs or the like.

The above described action of the levers 8 may be obtained in the following way 2-- Each auxiliary lever 11 is mounted on an eccentric sheave l8 fixed on the shaft 4 in such a way that the throw of the eccentric when the shaft is in the position necessary for the door to be closed is towards the door. This arrangement is clearly illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the levers 11 however being shown as connected to separate shafts 4 whereas in reality they are mounted upon the same shaft, the said levers being shown disassembled simply for the sake of clearness. The eccentric sheave 18 is however narrower than the lever 11 or than the part of the lever embracing it and the por- I tion of the lever which projects beyond the eccentric sheave is provided with a hole larger than the shaft and through which the shaft passes. At one point on the edge of this hole there is a projecting tooth 19 formed by cutting away a portion of the lever 11 as shown. The portion of the shaft 4: which is inside this hole is provided with a stud or key 20 which is so arranged that when the shaft 4 is turned in the direction which necessitates the auxiliary lever 11 turning with it in order to make the lever 8 disengage with the bar 7 on the door 1, this key 20 engages with the tooth 19 in the hole in the lever and the lever 11 thus turns with the shaft 4. The direction of motion lever 11 Figs. 1 and 5 and counter-clockwise for the right hand lever. The auxiliary lever 11 or the auxiliary link 10 has a weight l5 placed thereon or is connected to the body by a spring in such a way that when, after the door has been opened, the shaft 4 is turned in order to close the door the lever 11 will fall back into its original position, and thus enable the lever 8 to reengage the bar 7 on the door. A stud 21 is provided on the lever 11 and another stud 22 on a bracket 23 fixed to the body, these studs being placed in such position that when the shaft 4: is turned in the direction which necessitates the auxiliary lever 11 turning with it in order to disengage the lever 8 from the bar 7 on the door, the studs on the lever and bracket are clear of each other, but when the shaft & is turned in the direction in which the lever 11 does not turn with it, the action of the eccentric 18 causes the stud 21 on the lever 11 to move into gear with the stud 22 on the bracket 23 and thus prevent the possibility of the lever 11 moving so as to disengage the lever 8 from the bar 7 on the door when the shaft- & is so far turned as to commence opening the door. It will here be understood that the eccentric arrangement for one lever 11 is the reverse of that for the other lever 11 so that while one lever 11 becomes locked during rotation of the shaft 4: in one direction the other lever 11 is operated and vice versa. The stud 22 on the bracket 23 may be placed a little in advance of the stud 21 on the lever 11 so that the lever 11 can turn a short distance under the influence of the eccentric before the two studs 21 and 22 engage thus insuring the lever 11 always being brought back far enough by the weight 15 or spring when the door has been closed to insure that the studs 21 and 22 shall engage even if the door has become distorted, so that the levers 8 do not go quite up to their correct position.

If desired a rod 24 (indicated in dotted lines) slotted at both ends can be introduced to connect the pins which join the levers 8 to the links 10 so that when one lever 8 is in the position of disengagement with the bar 7 on the door, the other lever necessarily engages with its corresponding bar.

If preferred, the levers 8 can be caused to engage and release the bars 7 on the doors by rods operated by hand and which can be secured to brackets on the wagon body in any desired position instead of by the auxiliary levers and links above described.

If it is desired to fit any main levers and links at points between the ends of the doors, holes may be cut in the sloping side ramps 3 to allow the main levers to work through same and these holes may be provided with hinged cover plates adapted to rise when the levers work through the hole and to fall defined above is clockwise for the left hand i when the levers pass away from the hole,

thus affording an uninterrupted surface for the contents of the body to pass over when being discharged to the side of the wagon.

Index fingers can be placed on the actuating shaft in any suitable position to indicate whether the door is closed or open for discharging centrally or at the side.

Means may be provided for locking the mechanism. Thus a transverse locking bar 25 may be provided having slots 26 engaging with flats on the shaft 4, each of said slots being formed with an enlargement 27 at one end so that the shafts l: which extend through the slots may be alternately disengaged by drawing the bar one way or the other. This locking bar 25 may be secured in any position by means of studs that engage with notches or by means of springs that engage with recesses, but is simply shown as provided with handles 28 not adapted to be secured.

If desired each actuating shaft a can be worked through a worm and wheel or other suitable gear by a shaft 16 extending transversely across the wagon and either of the above mentioned shafts can be operated by means of a wheel or handle 17 or by mechanical power. The wheels 17 may be connected to the shaft 16 in a readily removable manner so that for the two shafts only one hand wheel may be provided at each side of the wagon.

A door capable of being swung about either its upper or its lower edge as above described can be provided at each side of the wagon body or on one side only as shown; in the latter case a door hinged at the top or bottom only and capable or being opened one way only by means of a shaft connected to it by main levers 5 and links 6 as above described can be provided on the other side so as to obviate the necessity for auxiliary levers, links etc. The pivot 9 on which is mounted the lever S for operating the double acting door may then serve for carrying the hinge of the single acting door, as shown.

In the event of there being more than one operating shaft on the wagon the locking bar may be arranged to release one or more shafts at the same time as desired by placing the enlargements of the slots therein in suitable positions and the transverse shaft 16 may be provided with a clutch or clutches so that any one shaft 4 may be worked independently of the others. In Fig. 1 the dotted lines illustrate such an arrangement the worm wheel 4 of each of the two shafts 4 being supposed to be engaged by a corresponding worm 16 on the one cross shaft 16, the two worms being then loosely mounted on the cross shaft and adapted to be connected thereto at will by corresponding claw clutches 16 actuated by pivoted hand levers 16, and to enable the clutches 16 to be operated from either side of the wagon, the clutch lever 16 at one side may be connected by links 16 to a hand lever 16 at the opposite side.

As will be understood the doors actuated from a common shaft through worm and worm wheel gear with clutch mechanism may be doors that are arranged otherwise than as shown in the figure in which such an arrangement is illustrated in dotted lines.

Sheeting can be provided at the ends of the doors 1 or the ramps 3 to prevent the contents of the wagon falling among the levers and links.

As will be understood a wagon may have only one opening provided with a door or doors as described or a wagon may be provided with a series of hopper-like depressions in its bottom each depression being formed with an opening provided with one or more doors as described, transverse ridges being formed in the bottom between the openings, if desired.

In the drawings the levers 8 have been shown as straight and provided with a sidewise projecting housing to receive the bar 7 upon the door, but obviously the levers might be bent, that is to say more or less cranked, and provided in one arm with a seating to receive the bar 7 which in the latter case would by preference be in the form of a projecting stud of circular cross section so as to act as a hinge pin. Figs. 7 and 8 show such construction. Further although the doors 1 have been illustrated as inclined at the same angle as the side walls of the hopper this need not necessarily be so and in fact the doors may be disposed in a horizontal plane in which case the edges hereinbefore referred to as the upper and lower edges of the door would become outer and inner edges respectively having regard to the longitudinal center line of the rail way, wagon.

\Vhat we claim is 1. The combination with a receptacle, of a door adapted to be opened about opposite edges at will, means for engaging the said edges when the door is closed, and means for disengaging either of said edges and at the same time auton'latieally preventing both edges being disengaged simultaneously.

2. The combination with a receptacle, of a door adapted to be alternatively opened about opposite edges and means whereby an edge about which the door has turned on release of the opposite edge is automatically pre vented from being released until the door is closed again and the previously released edge locked.

3. The combination with a receptacle, of a door adapted to be alternatively opened about opposite edges, means for normally holding the door in closed position, auxiliary means for locking said door about its opposite edges and means whereby displacement of the main door-closing devices is prevented from opening the door until the auxiliary locking devices at one or other edge of the door have become released.

4. The combination with a receptacle, of a door provided at opposite edges with separable devices constituting hinges and means whereby such hinge devices can be disengaged alternatively to release the door and whereby simultaneous disengagement of both edges is automatically prevented.

5. The combination with a receptacle, of a door provided at opposite edges with separable devices constituting hinges and at an intermediate point with a device for closing said door, and means for disengaging the parts of one set of such hinge devices in ad vance of the movement of the door closing device to the release position.

6. The combination with a receptacle, of a door provided at opposite edges with separable devices constituting hinges, means whereby the parts of each set of such devices can be alternatively disengaged to release the door, and a device whereby those elements of the disengaging means which are moved to effect disengagement of one set of hinge devices will simultaneously return the elements.

of said disengaging means which serve to engage the other set of hinge devices to normal position if not already in such position. 7. The combination with a receptacle, of a door provided at opposite edges with separable devices constituting hinges, a link pivoted at an intermediate point to said door and provided with a pin, a lever having a slotted portion engaging said pin, a shaft for operating the lever and a guide upon which the pin is free to roll for a certain distance without permitting opening movement of the door. 8. The combination with a receptacle, of a door provided at opposite edges with separable devices constituting hinges, a link pivoted at an intermediate point to said door and provided at the extremity with a pin, a lever having a slotted portion engaging said pin, a shaft rotatable in opposite directions for operating the lever and a guide upon which the pin is free to roll for a certain distance in opposite directions without permitting opening movement of the door. 9. The combination with a receptacle, of a door provided at opposite edges with separable devices constituting hinges, a link pivoted at an intermediate point to said door and provided at the extremity with a pin, a lever having a slotted portion engaging said pin, a shaft rotatable in opposite directions for operating the lever, a guide upon which the pin is free to roll for a certain distance in opposite directions without permitting movement of the door, auxiliary links connected with the hinge elements separate from the door and auxiliary levers pivoted to the auxiliary links and adapted to be alternatively oscillated according to the direction in which the operating shaft is rotated.

10. The combination with a receptacle, of a door provided at opposite edges with separable devices constituting hinges, means for normally holding the door in closed position, auxiliary links connected with the hinge elements which are separate from the door, a shaft rotatable in opposite directions, auxiliary levers mounted on said shaft and pivoted to the auxiliary links, studs or keys on said shaft and cooperating teeth on said levers, the tooth and stud or key of one lever being adapted to engage when the shaft is rotated in one direction and the tooth and stud or key of the other lever being adapted to engage when the shaft is rotated in the opposite direction.

11. The combination with a receptacle, of a door provided at opposite edges with separable devices constituting hinges, means for normally holding the door in closed position, auxiliary links connected with the hinge elements which are separate from the door, a shaft rotatable in opposite directions, auxiliary levers pivoted to the auxiliary links, a shaft rotatable in opposite directions, eccentric sheaves on said shaft and engaging the auxiliary levers, and coiiperating studs upon said levers and upon corresponding stationary brackets which are brought into engagement alternatively in reverse order to that in which the auxiliary links are to be alternatively oscillated to release the door.

12. The combination with a receptacle, of a door provided at opposite edges with separable devices constituting hinges, means for 105 normally holding the door in closed position, auxiliary links connected with the hinge elements which are separate from the door, a shaft rotatable in opposite directions connected with the door closing means, 110 a pair of eccentric sheaves on said shaft, a stud or key on the shaft corresponding to each eccentric, auxiliary levers pivoted to the auxiliary links and severally mounted on the eccentric sheave 3 aforesaid so as to 115 overhang same, a tooth in the overhanging part of each lever, and cooperating studs upon said levers and upon corresponding stationary brackets which are brought into engagement alternatively by said eccentrics, 120 keys and teeth in reverse order to that in which the auxiliary links are to be alternatively oscillated to release the door.

13. The combination with a receptacle, of a door provided at opposite edges with sepa- 125 rable devices constituting hinges, means for normally holding the door in closed position, auxiliary links connected with the hinge elements which are separate from the door, auxiliary levers pivoted to the aux- 130 iliary links, a double ended and slotted rod connecting said links together, weights for returning said links to normal position when displaced, auxiliary levers pivoted to the auxiliary links, a shaft rotatable in opposite directions connected with the door closing means and extending through holes in the levers, a pair of eccentric sheaves on said shaft, a key on the shaft corresponding to each eccentric, a tooth formed in the overhanging part of the hole in the auxiliary lever which engages the eccentric sheave, and cooperating studs upon said levers and upon corresponding stationary brackets which are brought into engagement alternatively by said eccentrics, keys and teeth in reverse order to that in which the auxiliary links are to be alternatively oscillated to release the door.

14. The combination with a receptacle, of a door provided at opposite edges with separable devices constituting hinges, a link pivoted at an intermediate point to said door and provided at the extremity with a pin, a lever having a slotted portion engaging said pin, a shaft rotatable in opposite directions for operating the lever, a guide upon which the pin is free to rotate to a certain distance in opposite directions without permitting movement of the door, auxiliary links connected with the hinge elements which are separate from the door, auxiliary levers pivoted to the auxiliary links, a double ended and slot-ted rod connecting said links together, weights for returning said links to normal position when displaced, a pair of eccentric sheaves on the shaft aforesaid, a key on the shaft corresponding to each eccentric, a tooth formed in the overhanging part of a hole in the auxiliary lever which engages the eccentric sheave, and cooperating studs upon said lever and upon corresponding stationary brackets which are brought into engagement alternatively by said eccentrics, keys and teeth in reverse order to that in which the auxiliary links are to be alternatively oscillated to release the door.

15. The combination with a hopper having a discharge orifice at the lower termination of one wall thereof and a sloping ramp in alinement with the other wall of the hopper but at a distance therefrom, of a door which when closed forms a continuation of the first named wall and which is adapted to be either opened about its lower edge to form a continuation between the other wall of the hopper and the sloping ramp or about its upper edge to discharge the hopper contents through the opening between said wall and ramp, means for moving said door into either open position and from either open position into the closed position, means adapted to engage the edges of the door when closed and means adapted to cause disengagement of either edge and to prevent disengagement of both edges at the same time.

16. In a hopper bottom railway wagon, the combination with a plurality of discharging doors capable of being alternatively opened about opposite edges parallel with the center line of the vehicle and provided with opening and closing devices, of means located transversely of and operable at both sides of the vehicle, for simultaneously and individually opening and closing said doors.

17. In a hopper bottom railway wagon, the combination with a plurality of discharging doors capable of being alternatively opened about opposite edges parallel with the center line of the vehicle and provided with opening and closing devices, of means located transversely of and operable at both sides of the vehicle for simultaneously or individually opening and closing said doors and means whereby certain of the door opening and closing devices can be positively locked while certain others are being operated.

18. In a hopper bottom railway wagon, the combination of a door adapted to be opened about opposite edges, auxiliary locking means for each of said edges of the door, an operating shaft and means whereby rotation of the said shaft in either direction operates the locking means connected with the corresponding edge of the door but does not operate or permit the operation of the locking means connected with the other edge of the door, substantially as described.

19. In a hopper bottom railway wagon, the combination of a door adapted to be opened about opposite edges, and means for actuating and locking alternately the opposite edges of the door so that the door may be turned about the locked edge, comprising a shaft, an arm thereon linked to the intermediate part of the door and other arms thereon each linked to a lever fulcrumed to the wagon and adapted to engage with a projecting bar or the-like at the corresponding edge of the door and adapted to be alternatively engaged with the shaft according to its direction of rotation, substantially as described.

20. In a hopper bottom railway wagon, the combination of one or more doubleacting discharge doors, one or more singleacting discharge doors, main closing and auxiliary locking means for the double-acting door or doors and mechanism for operating such means, substantially as described.

21. In a hopper bottom railway wagon or other receptacle having doors capable of being alternately opened about opposite edges so as to discharge at either side or centrally, means adapted at one operation to both unlock and positively open or positively close and lock said doors about either edge.

22. The combination with a receptacle, of

a door adapted to be opened and closed about opposite edges at Will, means for normally locking the door at both said edges,-

means for positively opening and closing the door when one edge is unlocked and means operated in one direction to release the door at one edge in advance of the door opening means and in the other direction to release the door at the opposite edge also in advance of the said door opening means.

23. The combination With a receptacle, of a door adapted to be opened and closed about opposite edges at will, means for .nor-

mally locking the door at both said edges, means for positively opening and closing the door when one edge is unlocked, a shaft common to said locking and opening and closing means and means actuated by the movement of said shaft for operating the locking means at any one edge of the door in advance of the door opening and closing means.

Signed at Leeds Forge, Leeds, England this tenth day of September 1906.

ROBERT GORDON SHARP. EDWIN DE HORNE ROWNTREE.

WVitnesses:

JOHN WVILLIE HAWLEY, BARKER CRoW'rHnn. 

